


from the top of the charts

by aretama



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, M/M, boybands, everyone has little baby crushes, karasuno is an idol group, not everyone is a pop star but that's really the gist of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 14:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3329624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aretama/pseuds/aretama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of performing as junior idols under the Furudate Productions Entertainment Company, the boys of Karasuno have finally graduated to a life of true stardom. The idol business may not be all number one singles, tv appearances, and way-too-sparkly costumes, but hey. It's a living.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. brand new season

It’s been a while since Karasuno’s official debut, but there’s still a lot Daichi hasn’t gotten used to. He recalls the producer telling them their lives wouldn’t change much, that the transition would be seamless thanks to all their years as junior idols. But Daichi’s still not quite adjusted to his rebirth as a full-fledged celebrity and all the things that come with it, or at least not to this extent. He’s not used to seeing himself and his bandmates plastered on billboards and signs all over the streets. He sometimes forgets to wear sunglasses _and_ a hat (and depending on what part of the city, a face mask) to hide from cameras. He’s not accustomed to the booths outside the concert hall selling uchiwa with his face on them for the audience to wave in time with the songs. Hell, he’s not even used to performing with the younger members, who were shoehorned into his unit pre-debut.

But it’s not all bad.

Daichi’s not used to playing this big an audience, or his face hurting from smiling so much, and he’s definitely not used to feeling this drunk on adrenaline. He’s high on good feelings now, riding the moving platform set-piece weaving through the spaces between the crowds as he waves to the screaming masses. One of his bandmates on the trolley with him, Kageyama, rolls and packs a concert tee as best he can before he launches it at the fans, clambering over each other to catch it.

“ _So yeah! Spread your wings, yeah! Turning the pages of history, we’re coming together evolving constantly! As long as we’re together we’re invincible, so don’t look back yeah, let’s take the top of the sky!_ ” Tanaka and Nishinoya are on the catwalk extension, jumping and dancing as they spit out the rap to their debut song ‘Take Flight’ (which, Daichi never fails to mention, hit the #1 spot at launch and currently holds the record for this year’s best-selling single). They’re practically exploding with energy, daring the audience to match them.

As they finish rapping and impromptu beatboxing, the song moves to the chorus, and the duo runs to opposite sides of the stage waving their arms frantically to encourage even more deafening applause. The other Karasuno members bring up their mics again to sing the chorus, but it’s barely any use, since the crowd’s voices drown them out as they sing along.

Suddenly, there’s an uproar from the left side of the concert hall. Daichi whips his head around and he should’ve known, Tanaka’s rid himself of his own concert tee, swinging it around in a circle above his head. Daichi just laughs. Why not give them some fanservice during the encore?

“IS EVERYONE HAVING FUN? EVERYONE HAVING A GOOD TIME TONIGHT?” Hinata’s running nearly the full expanse of the main stage, trying to soak up as many cheers as he can. He nearly knocks into Tsukishima as he steps off the other trolley to switch with other members.

After another repetition of the chorus, the two moving platforms cross each other. Ennoshita, still singing, hands Kageyama more concert goods to launch at the fans. Suga’s riding with him, feeling just as elated as Daichi. He leans over the edge, screaming, ‘Isn’t this great?’ away from his mic, and Daichi barely catches over the cheers. He points back to the stage as if to say ‘I’ll meet you there’, and shoots him a dazzling smile.

That’s another thing Daichi will never get used to. That smile.

That’s something he can deal with at another time. They’re putting on a show now. This is _big_ , and he has to be professional. But he’d be lying if he said that one smile didn’t make this night feel even more perfect, more magical, like Daichi could do even more of anything.

They reach the opposite side of the stage and Daichi and Kageyama hop off, the latter jogging off to join Hinata and Tsukishima in conducting the “HEY! HEY! KA-RA-SU-NO!” chant. Daichi spots Takeda-san in the wing with a smile, prompting him to wrap-up from behind the curtains. 

Daichi makes his way to the center of the main stage, mic in hand.

“Tsukishima Kei!” he calls out. The spotlights follow his voice, shining down on their tallest member as he gives his trademark smirk and wags a peace sign to the audience. The crowd erupts into a thunderous burst of cheers.

“Hinata Shouyou!”  The lights flicker to the next member in line, and Hinata beams, waving with both hands. The audience figures it out, this is their sign off. The cheers don’t stop.

“Kageyama Tobio!” A smile so broad it borders on terrifying, he stiffens and bows a full 90 degrees.

“Ennoshita Chikara!” He laughs, throws a wink to the nearest camera, knowing full well it’ll show on the screens.

“Tanaka Ryuunosuke!” Still shirtless, Tanaka points back to the crowd as if to say something cheesy like ‘ _you’re_ the real stars’.

“Nishinoya Yuu!” A backflip. What a showboat.

“Sugawara Koushi!” He blows a kiss. Another uproar.

“Sawamura Daichi!” he calls his own name and feels the heat of the spotlights. He gives a casual salute and smiles as the rest gather around him. “And WE ARE KARASUNO!”

The group joins hands as best they can while still holding their mics and take a long bow in front of the crowd. When they rise back up, Daichi can spot some crying faces in the audience. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” he yells. “Thanks for making our first night so epic! Now it’s your turn to go out there and take flight!” Karasuno gives their final waves and run off stage. The lights fade out one last time, and their debut concert comes to a close.

==========

“Uuuuuooohhhh!! That was so awesome!!” Hinata shrieks in the dressing room. “I need to do that again! When’s the next one?”

“Idiot! There is no next one,” Kageyama responds. Hinata looks positively scandalized. “That was our _debut concert_ , you can’t debut twice! Our next show will just be a... it’ll just be a… a concert!”

“Mm, you really showed him,” Tsukishima mutters, then shifts his tone to something a notch higher on the politeness scale. “Does everyone mind gathering around for a bit? I want to take a picture for the blog.” 

Everyone makes their way to huddle around Tsukishima, whooping and jumping over piles of clothes, taking a moment to fix their sweaty hair. Nishinoya weaves his way to the front and cranes his neck upward to fit in the camera frame.

“Getting a real picture of us this time, eh, beanpole? No artsy snaps of all our water bottles instead?” Tsukishima rolls his eyes, choosing not to dignify his senior’s question with a response. He extends his long arm outward in front, then clicks the shutter button on his phone as soon as everyone situates themselves with smiles and peace signs. The photo comes out a little blurry. He tags the caption “just had our first concert”, and sends both off to Yachi, who’ll approve it or tweak it to her liking, and publish it in his stead.

Just as everyone disperses back into their own areas, there’s knock on the door and a meek “Hey, it’s me!”

Noya yelps, bounds his way to the door, and flings it open. “Asahi-san! What took you so long?!”

Their main composer (occasional sound director and songwriter, good friend, and in Daichi’s case, punching bag) fiddles with the clasp of his staff badge. “Ah, I had to take care of some of the stage equipment, put away the instruments, you know… And I wanted to give you a chance to catch your breath. Oh, and Yamaguchi’s still hanging out backstage if you’re looking for him. But really guys, great first show!”

“Ughhhh, Asahi-san, you should totally be up there with us,” Noya groans.

“But... I was… I played guitar on stage for three of your songs--”

“No, but like, for longer!”

“N-no thanks, that’s good enough for me....”

Tanaka strides over and slings his arms over the both them, lopsided and weirdly angled due to the height difference. “Aw, give him a break, Noyassan. I bet tomorrow there’s gonna be a million posts on the message boards with this guy’s pic like “Hey, who’s the sexy guitar player?” and Hashtag Karasuno’s Sexy Guitar Player’s gonna trend. Just watch.”

“Sounds right,” Noya giggles. “Hey, did you see anything to eat out there? I’m starving.”

Asahi looks back out the door. “Uh, yeah there was a table of stuff down by--”

“Nice!” Noya hooks one arm around Tanaka’s shoulders and jumps up with zero warning. Tanaka, of course, catches his legs with ease and swoops them into a bridal-style carry in one fluid movement. As if he was expecting it, really. “Onwards! To food!” He ushers the other two out with him, Tanaka his trusty steed, Asahi his navigator.  

"Hey, hey! Azumane-san said Yamaguchi’s backstage! Wanna see Yamaguchi?” Hinata asks his fellow younger members. Kageyama and Tsukishima shrug, grab their water bottles and follow him (already out the door and down the hall, Hinata didn’t bother to wait for a response).

Ennoshita sighs and gets up from his chair. “I’ll go follow them, make sure they don’t burn down the stage or something,” he laughs, throws his seniors a smile, makes eye contact with Daichi, and strolls after his juniors.

And there it is.

Daichi’s alone with Suga. A rare moment nowadays with how busy they’ve been. He wonders if Ennoshita has telepathy, sends him a mental cry of ‘thank you’, and thinks of a way to not let this chance slip. _I have to use this to my advantage._

_Wait, advantage? That sounds so dirty_ , Daichi mulls. _But really, this entire thing is messy. These are dangerous waters I’m treading. I mean, maybe as a junior idol it wasn’t too bad. The media’s eyes weren’t on us all the time. But now? As a real idol? And with my bandmate? Hoo boy, that’s a whole ‘nother level of hell. Though actually, that attracts a lot of attention too and sometimes it’s used for publicity’s sake… but that’s a whole problem in and of itself--_

“What are you overthinking this time, Daichi?” Suga laughs, clipping his hair out of face. “What terrible scenario are you dreaming up now? Think the guys are really gonna burn down the stage? Ennoshita’ll get ‘em.”

“No, it’s not that… I’m just exhausted I guess.” Well, at least it’s not a total lie.

Leave it to Suga to read him, as usual. They’ve been friends for years, climbing up the ladder together at Furudate Productions as junior idols aiming for the top. Sure they’ve slipped and fell once or twice, but they always meet each other in the end. No matter what pressures weigh down on him, or the lengths he thinks ( _knows_ ) the other could go alone, through all the long practices for a tiny paycheck, the doubts and scares, Suga’s always there with a smile and his support. Really, it’s because of Suga that Daichi is here now, sitting both backstage at the end of their successful debut concert, and at the top of the nation’s charts. If Daichi had to debut without Suga, he would have left FuruPro right then and there.

Daichi’s been aware of his feelings for a while, but he’s no fool. He’s aware of how toxic relationship rumors can be when you’re an idol. He hooks himself to those thoughts as an anchor, to keep him from screwing up something really good. But he also remembers the smile on the platforms just less than an hour ago,  the one that made him feel like he could do anything.

_It wouldn’t hurt to just talk_ , and wades into what he hopes is safe ground.

“Hey, uh. I watched your solo. You were amazing. I mean, I heard you sing it before but on stage it’s really something else.”

“What? Oh, please,” Suga giggles. “I mean, thank you, but it was nothing special. Same old, same old."

“Oh, right. Same old, same old. Yeah, you only just wrote the song yourself, sang it wonderfully, kicked it’s ass in front of a huge crowd. No big.”

Suga ducks his head and laughs again. “Okay fine, but it was so boring compared to yours! All I did was stand and sing. Yours was way cooler!”

Daichi beams and swings his chair around to face Suga as they continue their compliment war. This is what he likes. Normal, natural talk between friends. It’s not really flirting, but it kinda feels like it, and Daichi’s okay with that. He’s in no rush, but he won’t mind if the speed goes up.

“I still can’t believe this all happened! It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Suga sighs. “I have a CD with my voice on it, Daichi. A CD still on the #1 spot after three weeks. _And_ a sold out concert! With a DVD release on the way!”

“Yeah, I get it. Me too. Feels too good to be true.” Suga gives him a look. “I mean it! Well, kind of. I think we would’ve reached here eventually. Just maybe not this quickly. Or with this particular group of people, to be honest.” Suga can’t blame him. It was only recently they absorbed Ennoshita and the younger trio into their own unit.

“But I think we would’ve made it. No matter who came or went, if it was still me and you, we would’ve definitely made it. No doubt.”

There’s a brief flash of panic that resounds in Daichi’s core. Maybe he stepped a bit too far, said something a bit too symbolic, pushed himself out of the comfortable “friend flirting” zone he was in. But Suga smiles, and it’s different from the others. It’s not the laughing smile, or the “Daichi you’re such a _nerd_ ” smile, or even the do-anything magical smile from before. It’s a warm, fond smile that Daichi knows he’s seen before but he can’t recall from when.

“I think so too,” he says in a voice soft enough to match this mystery smile, and Daichi thinks maybe he didn’t mess up. Maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe this is it, this is really the moment. Maybe this night is as marvelous as Daichi believes it to be.

_Keep going._

He leans in just a centimeter more. Despite the countless possible scenarios he’s gone through in his head for entering the next step in their relationship, he tosses them all out and chooses instead to go with the flow. He can feel it, this’ll be perfect. He’ll look into Suga’s bright eyes and have his words cut off by the door flinging open and Noya bouncing in shaking what sounds like a paper bag and oh god what’s going on this isn’t perfect at all none of this should be happening--

“Hey! We brought snacks! It’s just onigiri for now, but that’ll hold us off till we get real food, right? There’s uhhh, spicy tuna for Suga-san… and Daichi-san we got you… I think this one has pork in it?” Noya goes on and on, describing the types of snacks he and Tanaka swiped from the catering table.

Daichi turns around and sees both Asahi and Ennoshita behind them. They say nothing, but he can see it in their eyes.

“ _We’re so sorry._ ”

==========

Weeks have gone by since their concert. They’ve kept busy. The post-debut hype has Karasuno whisked from one job to the next, and when those are done, their other obligations get to knock them around. The youngest members are still finishing their last year of high school, while Daichi and Suga take off-campus university courses. Ennoshita pulls late nights to finish projects for film school, and Tanaka and Noya run all over the city to fulfill their hosting duties for both their radio show and weekly web show.

Today they’ve got a morning meeting. Daichi walks into the Furudate Productions Miyagi Branch Headquarters at a quarter to nine in his “civilian disguise”, complete with Ray Bans over his eyes and a Captain America beanie to hide his hair. He waves good morning to the receptionist at the front and turns into Meeting Room B where Takeda-san told them to meet. When Daichi turns the doorknob and sees no one inside, he figures he’s the first one to arrive. It’s been a while-- Hinata tends to beat him nowadays.

Daichi settles into one of the chairs and pulls out his phone, checking notifications until the other members appear. He leaves the door open to let the others know he’s there. A few minutes later, he hears the shuffling of feet nearby and figures someone else arrived. Too quiet, too controlled, so not Hinata. Maybe Tsukishima or Ennoshita. Doesn’t sound like Suga. Could be Takeda-san. He looks up.

It’s Oikawa.

“Heeey, Sawamura!” He waves all cheerful, water bottle in hand and sports towel around his shoulders. He’s in sweats, probably from dance practice, and Daichi can tell he’s already been at it for a while. He glances at his watch, _Just how long has Oikawa been up?_ “Haven’t seen you in a while. Just wanted to say congrats on the successful debut and all that.”

“Thanks. Congrats on your, what is it? Third? Fourth?”

“Third,” Oikawa croons as he leans on the doorframe.

“Third #1 single. Keep that streak up, man.” Daichi and Oikawa aren’t even close to being good buddies, but there’s no bad blood between them. That, and the higher ups would never stack their releases against each other, so aside from personal pride, there’s no real competition between them.

“Thanks, thanks. Used to the debuted life yet?”

“The interviews, TV appearances, photoshoots, whatever, yeah that stuff’s not too bad. Could do without the wrecked sleep patterns though.”

“Toughen up, oh fearless leader,” chimes a new voice. It’s Suga. He swings past Oikawa after nodding in his direction to say hi, and dumps his bag on the spot next to Daichi. “What would the rest of the group say if they saw you complaining about our work load?” 

Daichi looks at his silver-haired bandmate for a second, not answering, and Suga realizes he screwed up. He forgot. Groups were a taboo conversation topic around Oikawa, FuruPro’s top solo artist.

“I mean, you haven’t even filmed for any dramas yet, Daichi!” Suga blurts out, trying to cover his tracks. “You have _no idea_ what a hellish work schedule is yet!”

“Yeah, but that’s because Sawamura’s acting suuuuucks!” the non-Karasuno laughs. If he’s bothered by past memories, he’s not showing it (but then again, unlike Daichi, Oikawa’s a pretty good actor). They break into casual conversation, Daichi defending his miserable acting skills while the other two pick on him, until familiar yelling bursts from outside.

Oikawa peers out the door. “Alright, that’s my cue. Looks like the rest of your brats are here. Laters!” With a wave, he saunters off to the direction of the practice rooms before the rest of Karasuno comes in.

“BEAT YOU! BEAT YOU!” Hinata yells, out of breath.

“Are you blind?! _I_ beat _you_!” Kageyama growls in return, grasping the doorframe like a lifeline.

“Well, actually Daichi-san and Suga-san beat you both,” Ennoshita notes.

“Meaning both of you are losers,” finishes Tsukishima. “But we all knew that.”

“Ouch!” Noya laughs, ducking under Kageyama’s arm and waltzing into the room, picking a seat near the front and plops down. Tanaka cackles and takes the seat next to Noya.

“Morning, guys. Takeda-san show up yet? Any idea what this meeting’s about?”

“No clue.” Daichi refreshes his inbox on his phone, “No new e-mails either.”

hey wait a few minutes more, shooting the breeze, catching each other up on their lives since their last group meeting. Soon, the sound of clicking heels approaches, louder until they arrive and step into Meeting Room B.

“KIYOKO-SAN!”

Tanaka and Noya shoot up with excitement, scooting their rolling chairs even closer to the front. Shimizu, as always, pays them no mind.

“Morning, everyone,” the cool-headed manager greets. “Takeda-san’s currently caught up in a meeting of his own this morning, so he sent me to talk to you.” She passes the stack of manila folders she’s been carrying to Daichi, who takes one and passes the rest down the line. The idols open their folders and flip through the pages inside.

“Karasuno is to get ready to release their second single. The lyrics are in your folders, as well as each of your schedules for the coming week.” She pulls out a flash drive, holds it up, and places it on the table. “Asahi put a demo on here, listen to it as many times as you want. We’re going pretty heavy on choreography this time, so you’ll be doing dance practice first. Meet Ukai in the practice rooms in an hour.” 

The boys struggle to digest this bomb of information Shimizu just dropped, flipping between pages, skimming the lyrics, trying to remember what she just said. Hinata stammers, questions on the tip of his tongue, but before he can actually form words Shimizu makes a sharp turn, reminding him of army generals he’s seen in movies.

She throws the poor boys one more look over her shoulder before she exits.

“Get busy.”

 

 


	2. Going!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karasuno shoots a music video, Oikawa has a nerdbaby crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, sorry this took so long to update! I had a lot of art and school that took priority. But I'm glad people are interested in this AU and waited for a second chapter, so here it is! Enjoy.

“Ugh, I think it’s illegal to sweat this much in the winter.”

“The fans are on! Complaining won’t make it any cooler in here, Tanaka,” Ukai chided after cutting the music. It’s been hours into the filming of their second music video and Karasuno was starting to feel the exhaustion. This new single, 'Chemical Change', is a high-energy dance song with a routine to match so Ukai, their main choreographer, came to make sure they filmed something of quality. “Take five, everyone. Come back and let’s do that segment again. Could be a little tighter.”

Half the boys slump to the floor as stagehands shuffle in with bottles of water, small fans, and make-up kits. After having their bodies and faces refreshed, they get back into their starting positions to dance the second chorus _yet again_ as Ukai claps out the timing from the side.

“Fix, six, seven, eight-- and cut. Alright, much better that time,” He barks once the segment was over. “The director said she wants one or two more takes of that scene. Hinata, make sure you keep in sync. You started getting too fast towards the end.”

Hinata tenses up, but accepts the criticism. “G-got it, sir!” Tsukishima snickers off to the side while Kageyama mutters something about _dumbass Hinata_ and _making us redo a dance_.

And off course, Ukai heard all this. “Kageyama,” He enunciated, “your turns are still a little sloppy, and Tsukishima? Put a little more energy in it.”

“Got it…”

 

===

 

The day continued like this for hours. They film in short sections, dancing routines over and over again to Ukai’s count and taking short breaks for water, touching up make-up and readjusting outfits. Unlike their first music video, the crew was set on getting all the footage they needed in just one day’s time. It was doable, but tiring. Extremely. Tiring.

“One more take of that routine, then we can break and start solo filming!” The director happily calls out after checking the last playback. Everyone on set, including Karasuno, gives a cheer. The idols hurriedly return to position.

They redo the take _twice_ , actually, until the director and Ukai call for the break.

"Sawamura, you're first up for filming," Ukai says. "Don't get too comfortable."

"Got it," Daichi responds. He takes a drink of water and makes his way to an empty area in the back to practice his routine.

Suga plops himself onto the nearest chair he can find and unscrews his new water bottle. A staff member with a clipboard hurries over to him.

“Sugawara-san, you’ll be next for filming after Sawamura-san!” She squeaks. Suga can’t do much but give her a small nod, and watches her scurry off to find the other members. He just doesn’t have the stamina some of his groupmates posses, still jumping around and running from Point A to Point B. He chooses to stay in his chair and recharge, but regrets his decision as soon as he gets comfortable. It wasn't until this small chance to relax did he realize how tired his body was, or how his eyes wanted to flutter closed and shut out the neon green of the backdrops. He probably should've stayed up and active, but too late now.

Glancing to the side, he sees Ennoshita striking up a conversation with some of the staff and camera crew that weren't currently working, passing around pieces of equipment to him and showing off their set ups. His hooded eyes are a little more lively now with his hands around a camera, listening to the assistant director explain how they came up with concept for the music video.

Ennoshita brought his own handheld camcorder along, as he usually does when the entire group had a big event, filming whenever he could and passing it off to amy available staff member when he couldn't. There was already footage on his card from the morning ride to the filming location, warm-ups, and a couple dance practices. There's a camera unit on site specifically for filming the making-of the music video, but footage from Ennoshita, a member of Karasuno himself, is more charming, more intimate, and ends up as special features for the limited edition versions of their singles and DVDs. But now, the camcorder is in the hands of Nishinoya. Suga’s too far away to hear what’s going on, but from the looks of it, Noya’s beatboxing as Tanaka freestyles. Ennoshita's gonna  _love_ that.

Tsukishima’s sitting at the other end of the table Suga's at, silently scrolling through his phone. Suga hasn’t quite caught his breath enough to attempt conversation, but he loses the chance to try once Tsukishima puts on a pair of earbuds. He wonders if Tsukishima’s in a sour mood, maybe didn’t get enough sleep, until he notices the concentrated look and how his fingers tap out a steady beat on the table’s surface. P _robably working on a new song_ , Suga figures, and lets him be.

Suga’s two-thirds of the way through his water bottle when Noya and Tanaka dash over.

“Suga-san! You look bored!”

“Just exhausted,” he says with a smile. It’s an understatement. They were up before the sun and have been filming since.

"Well, falling asleep’s just gonna make it worse. Need some coffee or something?” Tanaka offers. “Noyassan and I are probably doing a snack run soon.”

“I’m good, I’m good. Thank you, though. I mean, it’s almost my turn for solos. You two have it worse!” Tanaka and Noya are scheduled last for filming. Since their dancing involves a lot of acrobatics, they take the most time and preparation.

“HA!” Tanaka laughs, “We’ll be fine. The two of us have energy to spare. _Reserves_ of it.”

“I’m well aware. It’s a real pain in the ass sometimes.” Suga takes another sip.

“O-ouch, Suga-san.”

“Well anyway!” Noya cuts in and thrusts Ennoshita’s handheld camcorder at Suga’s chest. “Here, take this! It’ll give you something to do! Ryuu and I are gonna go practice, Shouyo and Kageyama are showing us up again.”

“Oh, uhm,” Suga threads his hand through the strap. "Sure." He’s never been the cameraman before. “What should I film?”

“Anything!”

“Except us practicing,” Tanaka adds. “If I mess up and fall on my face, it’ll be guaranteed to show up on the DVD… Yeah, can’t risk exposing my uncool side.”

“But you don’t have an uncool side, Ryuu!”

Tanaka's eyes instantly sparkle. “N-noyassan…”

Noya gives a triumphant giggle and looks around the set. “Oh! Film Daichi-san doing his solo dance! OH! And then when he’s done you can give him the camera and he can film _you_ and OH, OH! We can all film each other’s dance!” He breaks into a giant grin. “That’ll definitely make it to DVD. Ennoshita’s gonna flip. We won't even need the camera crew's footage!” He bends back and calls over his shoulder, "No offense!"

“Awesome idea. Alright, we’re all counting on you, Suga-san. Go start the chain!” Tanaka claps a hand on Suga’s back and runs off to the floor mats to practice flips with Noya.

 

===

 

Suga weaves his way through the crowd of staff members with the camcorder just before the music starts. He missed the first couple takes, but he figures Ennoshita won't mind as long as he films at least one full take. He zooms in on Daichi’s figure and watches the camcorder regain focus on the side panel. Suga takes one half-step to the right to capture as much of his body as he can, because no matter how many times he’s witnessed it, watching Daichi dance is always a treat.

Suga thinks back to when they first joined FuruPro, back when none of them had any idea what they’ve gotten themselves into. Young Daichi was _so_ bad at dancing. Clunky and clumsy as if his shoes were five sizes too big to fit. But Daichi worked hard, he still does, and his practice paid off. Now he moves with power and precision, each step tightly packed with energy. Daichi isn’t explosive-- he doesn’t have the acrobatics of Nishinoya nor the nonstop movement of Hinata, but what he has is the combination of strength and near flawlessness to his dance that made his body demand attention.

Suga’s dancing is completely different. He isn’t the power and strength Daichi is. He's focus and elegance. All it takes for Suga to captivate his audience and the camera is a simple flick of his wrist, a roll of his shoulder, a sway of his hips. He draws attention from his hands to his collarbone, down the lines of his body. Parts versus the whole. Suga likes that his method works for him. He gets highly positive feedback for such little output, and it lets him conserve his stamina for long performances.

( “It’s like my little magic trick,” he jokes one day while watching their performance on a tv program. “Just a little misdirection.”

Daichi snorts. “Is that what you call it? I think it’s more like seduction.”)

The music stops and Daichi’s body slumps out of position for a second before he stands himself upright again. “How was that?”

The director’s face is twisted in an uneasy expression. “Sawamura-kun, your dancing’s good so we can use these takes but it’s just the… it’s the…” she makes sweeping, exaggerated gestures towards her face. “that whole Sawamura charm isn’t coming out! I’m not really feeling it!”

He scratches the back of neck. “Well, it’s not like I have any tricks up my sleeves…. Could you be more specific? Like, do I look tired or something? Does it look phoned in?”

“Ah, no it’s not that…” The director pushes up her glasses and watches the playback once more. A couple more staff members, including Ukai, huddle in with her to discuss what’s missing.

“Maybe he should try lip-syncing?”

“Yeah, the song’s playing, so maybe it would be better if he looked like he was singing.”

"But he just filmed all his lip sync footage. Don't you think that's a little overkill?"

“His dancing’s not off, I made sure of that. So just try a different camera angle or something.”

“I mean, it’s not _bad_ , it’s just not _great_.”

After another minute of deliberation, the huddle breaks apart. “Let’s just try it again, alright Sawamura-kun? It could’ve just been a weird take.”

Daichi nods and stands back in position, rolling his shoulders a few times. Suga hits the record button again and zooms back in. Even from the small view of the side panel, Suga can tell Daichi’s a bit troubled. His expression is far too serious, his brows too furrowed. Daichi never likes messing up.

The music starts again. His steps are on time and the energy is there, but Suga can see it now. There _is_ something missing. If this keeps up, the frustration will affect Daichi’s performance, and a frustrated Daichi isn't fun for anyone. So without really thinking, Suga starts to cheer.

“Wooooo! That’s our leader!”

He keeps his eyes on the camcorder and takes a couple steps forward. The staff around him try to stifle their laughter to little avail and make way for him to pass through. “The camera loves you, Daichi.” He bends his knees and films at a different angle like an overzealous photographer. “Ooh, _hot damn_! Yeah, work it!”

Daichi remains professional during Suga’s barrage of embarrassing lines and wolf-whistles, having done this long enough to not turn his head and divert his attention. He keeps dancing, fixed on Camera A. But then, he cracks a smile. A really big one. He does a turn and a single laugh escapes him. By the time he’s completed the turn, back to the front, he’s regained his composure, but the huge grin is still there.

Suga decides to back off and keep quiet until the dance is through. He might’ve just screwed up this entire take for the sake of being silly. If he did, it would be completely counterproductive, since Daichi would just end up more frustrated than if he simply did another 'okay' take.

Daichi finished the routine, hands on his knees, and a staff member runs up to him with a water bottle. Suga clicks the record button again to stop the camera and closes the side panel, waiting for the verdict as the director watches the playback. She watches it three times, the second time zoomed in on his face.

“Sawamura-kun! That take was much better!” They both let out a sigh of relief. “I’d like one more take for safety and I think we can call it a wrap. Do you think you could do more like last take for me?”

He looks right at Suga, still slightly out of breath. “I don’t know, think I can?”

Suga folds out the side panel of the camcorder again. “Yeah, I think he’s up for it.” Suga smirks. "Didn't think  _that's_ what it took. You're such a diva, you know?"

Daichi gets into his starting position one more time. “Just so you know, I’m definitely doing the same thing to you when it’s your turn.”

 

\----

 

**Messenger: Kuroo sent a photo.**

Oikawa swipes his phone open and punches in his password. He’s greeted with a giant photo of… himself.

It’s a photo of a giant display featuring a poster version of his latest single cover. Around it are more, smaller cutout photos of himself and little notes and captions like “Oikawa Tooru!!”, “The prince hits #1 again!”. At the bottom of the display are copies of his single for sale. It was probably put together by the store employees to attract attention.

Sticking out from the edge of the photo is a peace sign. Black nail polish. Definitely Kuroo’s hand.

Oikawa’s phone buzzes again, and a text pops up underneath the image.

 

 **Kuroo more like kurEW** : ugh i can’t get away from you :P

 

Oikawa quickly types a response and hits send.

 

 **me!!!** : aww but why would you want to? miss working with me already??? ;)  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : nah ur a workaholic…. i enjoy having at least one day off a year ;P  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : lmao nahhh i kid  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : speaking of days off are u going to sawamuras party

 

The thing about Sawamura Parties is that they aren’t the hardcore till-the-sun-comes-up club ragers the average person might expect from a group of young men in the entertainment industry. In fact, they were the exact opposite. Daichi rents a big suite in a fancy hotel for a night and they all spend a day relaxing at the end of the year away from their jobs and the media. Oikawa has fond memories of the previous years’ parties, taking advantage of the hotel spas, falling asleep for more than a couple hours at once (even if it was on a pull-out couch), and not waking up to a blaring alarm.

 

 **me!!!** : he invited me but idkkkk might skip this yr  
 **me!!!** : it’s prob just gunna be karasuno and staff :x

 **me!!!** : AND YOU AND BOKUTO so booooo

 

He really did enjoy the parties (and Kuroo and Bokuto’s company, if he was _really_ honest), and he’d like to go again, but thinking about the crowd he’d be with left him uneasy. Karasuno were so tight-knit now, along with their staff, and Kuroo and Bokuto were better friends with each other than they were with him. He’d probably end up spending most the night either alone or in the presence of pity-company.

 

 **Kuroo more like kurEW** : ok but that’s why he havin it earlier this year.. so more ppl can come……  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : havin a new yrs eve bday sucks lol  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : idk u should think about it?? karasuno’s p popular now he might kno some cool ppl…..  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : plus karasuno is kinda fun anyway :P  

 **Kuroo more like kurEW** :YOOOO WAIT doesnt he know iwahaji

 

Oikawa’s heart jumps to his throat, and he nearly drops his phone when he reads the latest text. Sawamura _does_ know IwaHaji.

 

 **Kuroo more like kurEW** : YO THAT’S RIGHT HE DOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
**Kuroo more like kurEW** : yo you should ask him to invite iwahaji LOL

 

Iwaizumi Hajime (fondly shortened to IwaHaji by his fanbase) is a popular young actor known for his starring roles in action and thriller drama series. He exploded in popularity after his first leading role in _Heroes Ace_ , a superhero series with a dark tone, and again in _Royal Standing_ , a crime drama where he played a rookie detective. Oikawa had heard of the shows and the actor, but he never paid either any attention. No time and no interest. It wasn’t until he walked in on Daichi, Kuroo, and Bokuto-- his bandmates at the time, the four of them working together as an experimental unit-- watching a _sci-fi show_ of all things.

Oikawa had felt personally offended. First, they were watching a sci-fi without letting him know, and second, what did these basic fools know about the sci-fi genre? _Nothing_. He felt it was his duty to educate his bandmates in what good sci-fi is, so he plopped on the couch determined to point out every inaccuracy, every mistake, every scientific impossibility littered in the remainder of the episode.

Or at least, that was the plan until it backfired miserably.

There wasn’t much for him to point out. The show was actually pretty good, but what really drew him in was the main character. Believable and brave, human but not a fool ( _“I’m just saying I think he’s doing the right thing here. I mean, if an alien can communicate with you, you should at least try talking to it before shooting, right?”  “Oikawa if you’re going to watch this with us,_ please _shut up_ ”), and really, really handsome. A strange brand of handsome.

Not the same kind of handsome that Oikawa was. Iwaizumi didn’t have model-like qualities you could just mark down on a checklist. No, his handsome was a ‘best friend handsome’. See, you know for a fact that your best friend is good-looking, but you don’t know why or how and if you tried to describe it, you’d end up listing every little thing about them. _That_ was Iwaizumi. So captivating that Oikawa couldn’t keep his eyes off him, but he couldn’t even tell why.

As soon as the episode was over, Oikawa whipped out his phone and searched the show title to look for reviews and more episodes until the line “Starring: Iwaizumi Hajime” in the description caught his eye. _Oh_ , _so this is the Iwaizumi everyone's talking about. No wonder_.

After that, Oikawa spent his precious moments of free time watching Iwaizumi’s dramas. Kuroo poked fun at him a couple times, jokingly pointing out how Oikawa was swooning over some actor the way teen girls swooned over him.

Oikawa thought that by both being popular celebrities in the entertainment business, they’d meet eventually. Both of them were the same age and shared a target demographic. They 'd probably appear on the same episode of a talkshow or a big tv event, maybe booked after each other for a magazine interview or photoshoot, but... nope. Oikawa can’t recall a single time he’s ever been close to meeting IwaHaji, but the world must’ve enjoyed rubbing it in because while _he_ never got to be at the same event as IwaHaji, _Sawamura_ did.

They met at some celebrity sports event for charity (or something, Oikawa didn't pay attention) where they hit it off really well and became good friends after being on the same baseball team and winning a ton of money for sad puppies. Or something. Oikawa probably should've paid attention. But the point was, Sawamura, who would die in _seconds_ if he had to act to save his life, got to meet and befriend IwaHaji, while Oikawa, who already starred in a handful of high-profile dramas, was clawing at any slim chance he could get (which was none. There were no chances).

Oikawa swipes across his phone screen as fast as his fingers would allow, and pulls up a new text window.

 

====

 

“That was… a really long day,” Daichi sighs as he slumps in the backseat of the transport vehicle. He dumps his bag by his feet as Suga climbs in next to him.

He closed the door and smiled at the driver, signaling that they were ready to leave the filming studio. They're allowed to leave as soon as they wrap up, and there's no reason for them to stick around until the rest of their group is done, so they decide to leave first. Suga feels a little guilty, especially sympathetic for Tanaka and Noya, but they would've just been a dead weight distraction if they stuck around.

Suga clicks his seatbeat and practically melts into the seat. “It’s not even that late yet, actually. It’s just we’ve been up since forever. Ugh, I’m dead. I’m at zero percent battery. Dead.”

“Hm. How about dinner? Wanna get something to eat?” Daichi offers.

“Yeah! Yeah, I’m starving, but I’m also really super tired. I think I’d fall asleep and drop my head right in the bowl if we went out.” He gets a small laugh out of their driver. “I think it’s an order-out or instant ramen kind of day.”

“Hm, yeah. We can pick something up real quick and bring it back.”

Suga closes his eyes and smiles. "I’m down for a konbini run.”

“My place is closer, wanna stay over tonight?” It's not a big deal. They've been friends for a while, and they've done this a lot. It's pretty natural actually. There's no reason for Daichi's fingertips to go icy or his heart to beat extra loud or anything.

“Ah, that sounds good," Suga reclines further in his seat. "We only have a few meetings at headquarters tomorrow, right? I have a change of clothes in my bag, it’s just sweats though. Should be fine for a day.”

“You can borrow one of my shirts tonight if you need to," Daichi offers rather quickly.

“Thanks,” he smiles. Suga wills himself to look a bit more awake before leaning forward to politely inform the driver that he could drop the both of them off at a convenience store close to Daichi’s apartment. The driver complies, asking if they’d like him to wait so he could drive them the rest of the way, joking that Suga might fall asleep on the short walk.

Daichi laughs, and Suga jabs him in the side.

A few minutes of comfortable silence pass and Daichi fishes his phone out from his bag. He pulls out a set of earbuds from the side pocket, plugs them in, and offers one side to Suga.

“I almost forgot, Asahi sent me the instrumentals for a new song last night. Wanna listen?”

Suga wordlessly takes the earbud and puts it in. “Just the instrumentals? Not the demo yet?”

“I think Yamaguchi’s still working on the lyrics. Not really satisfied yet, I think.”

Suga makes a noise of acknowledgement. The song’s not bad at all. It’s a relaxing, mellow tune, and if Suga wasn’t dangerously close to nodding off in the car before, he is now.

That is, until the music quickly fades out, replaced by a buzz and an alert tone in his ear.

“Hang on, looks like I got a text,” Daichi mumbles, staring at the screen. “From Oikawa. This should be good.” He reads it aloud.

 

 **Oikawa Tooru** : sawamura-kun!!! who are you inviting to your party??? jw!! still deciding if i should go!! ^ v ^  
  
**Sawamura Daichi** : Karasuno, Asahi, Yamaguchi, You, Kuroo, Bokuto. The usual FuruPro crowd.  
 **Oikawa Tooru** : no shit buddy i mean who else :O :O :O :O :O

 

Daichi and Suga exchange glances. After a couple seconds, realization hits him.

  
 **Sawamura Daichi** : Oh. I get what this is.

 **Sawamura Daichi** : Yeah, I invited Iwaizumi. He said he’d be there, if nothing comes up.

 

They wait for a reply.

  
 **Oikawa Tooru** : okay I decided!!!! I’ll be there s(^o^)b

 

Suga snickers. A confirmation of their suspicions. Daichi grins, and his phone buzzes again.

 

 **Oikawa Tooru** : wait

 **Oikawa Tooru** : you didn’t invite those shira tori jerks did you!!! >:(  
  
 **Sawamura Daichi** : I don’t really know them that well, so nah. Actually, I asked Ushijima but he said he’ll probably be busy, so chances are he won’t be there.

  
**Oikawa Tooru** : good boy OKAY I’LL BE THERE s(^o^)b

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we're gonna introduce some more characters!! Hopefully it won't take as long to update, haha...  
> Again, you can find me on tumblr at [aretama](http://aretama.tumblr.com) or [electricprince](http://electricprince.tumblr.com).


	3. Step and Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Photoshoots are tough, Ennoshita has a crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh my gosh, I'm so sorry.... This took so long... Writing is already an incredibly slow process for me and then I took a two month trip. But here it is, an update! I'm really super thankful for every comment, kudos, bookmark, and message about this fic and asking for updates. It really does make me happy and lets me know you guys want this. So here it is!

“Okay, so _these_ are your new outfits specifically for this photoshoot, and _those_ are the ones you already wore for the music video, which are for the limited edition covers...” Yachi Hitoka, one of Karasuno’s managers and codenamed image consultant, reads out a perfectly organized checklist from her clipboard. Today’s the day Karasuno takes photos for their new single’s covers and promotional materials.

“Aone-san and I fixed up some of the damage after the filming so no need to worry about that.” Yachi breaks concentration for a second with a wobbly smile, trying not to laugh thinking about all the seams that ripped on both Hinata and Kageyama’s costumes after their too enthusiastic dancing. “Just be careful this time around. He’s on standby if we need his help, as are Azumane-san and Yamaguchi-kun, but try not to rely on them too much.”

“Ah, hang on Yacchan.” Asahi pauses from plucking his guitar strings in the corner. “I think we’re missing someone.”

Yamaguchi counts the group members on his fingers, “Ennoshita-san isn’t here!”

“He probably just has to take a sh--”

“--Kageyama!! No vulgar language!”

As if on cue, Ennoshita walks through the doors with a beautiful stranger at his side. He’s good-looking enough to be another idol, but none of them recognize him from the agency. An idol from a rival production company wouldn’t be allowed in, so maybe he was new recruit.

“Sorry! Sorry I’m late, guys! I needed to show him around,” Ennoshita motions to his companion. “This is one of my classmates, Akaashi Keiji.”

Some eyebrows raise.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a tourist,” the newcomer explains. “Chikara-kun recommended me for a photo job here when they were a little shorthanded. Seems they liked my stuff, so they hired me as an intern.”

“Sounds nice!” Asahi smiles.

“Do like you enough to pay you?”

Akaashi turns his hooded eyes to Tsukishima. “It’s a paid internship. Of course, it doesn’t pay _much_ , and I just do small stuff and assistant work. They don’t want to contract a student so they’re making it up by offering me credits.” Tsukishima turns away with a single nod, mildly surprised the agency would be generous enough to give a current university student a salary. Either this guy was really good behind the camera, or they wanted him in _front_ of it instead.

“Anyway, I’ve kept Chikara-kun away from you long enough. I’ll let you get started. Sorry, again.” He starts to leave, but turns on his heels to face Ennoshita once more. “Actually, I think I’m scheduled to help out with one of your shoots later today.”

“Yeah, we’re doing a ton of photos. So I’ll see you then.”

“That should be fun. I have a magazine shoot now. We’ll see how that goes. I’ll text you in the meantime.”

“Who’s it for? Anyone we know?”

“Uh,” he pulls out a slip of paper from his messenger bag,  “Bokuto Koutarou?”

“Oh god, good luck,” Daichi mutters under his breath. His eyes turn dark, recalling distant memories he wish he could forget.

After another minute, Akaashi waves his goodbyes and makes his way through the doors when Yachi passes Ennoshita a few sheets of paper detailing the day’s schedule.

Tanaka grins and leans far too close into Ennoshita’s side. “Oooh, he calls you Chikara-kun, huuuuhhh? Not even _we_ call you Chikara-kun!”

“We’re just friends and classmates. It’s really not like that,” he replies, though the base of his neck flushes bright pink. “It’s not like there’s anything more between us,” he pushes Tanaka away, already exasperated. “It’s just, his photography work is crazy good! Seriously!”

Nishinoya clings to Ennoshita’s other side with a giggle and a whistle. “I’m sure that’s not the only thing of his you’re in love with!”

“Could you two _please_ \--”

“I don’t know, he seems like a nice boy! I think it’s fine if you start seeing him!” Suga interjects.

Daichi folds his arms and nods. “Yeah, I approve, too. But not if he distracts you from school or work.”

Ennoshita takes a second to wonder why he chose to work here.

 

===

 

**Text from: Akaashi Keiji**

**Keiji** : Chikara  
**Keiji** : This Bokuto guy doesn’t keep still long enough for us to take decent shots  
**Keiji** : We only need three pics maximum for the magazine  
**Keiji** : We’ve tried the burst shot settings but they’re still coming out terrible and blurry  
**Keiji** : We’ve been doing this for hours  
**Keiji** : Send help

 

**Text from: Ennoshita Chikara**

**Chikara** : lol that’s usually how it is with bokuto-san  
**Chikara** : he means well though! he’s a nice guy. just can’t sit still for long

 

**Text from: Akaashi Keiji**

**Keiji** : He’s calling me his new best friend  
**Keiji** : Break is over ttys

 

**Text from: Ennoshita Chikara**

**Chikara** : good luck, don’t give up  
**Chikara** : also if you think he’s a handful, wait until you meet lev ;P

 

**Text from: Akaashi Keiji**

**Keiji** : GOOD GOD

 

===

 

“I think… it looks good….”

“Not yet,” Yachi whispers. She stands to the side of the central camera, tapping a finger to her chin, trying to find a way to make the image in her head a reality. Yachi twists her body and tilts her head from side to side, trying to catch different angles while Akaashi paces around set.

The boys of Karasuno stay as still as they can, posed in front of the backdrop. Usually photoshoots are never too difficult, but under the strong lights and the scrutiny of two perfectionists, their energy is slipping.

Asahi raises his hand and steps into the photo area to do maintenance. He dabs a bead of sweat off the side of Nishinoya’s face and brushes back some of Suga’s hair that fell out of place.

“Actually, Azumane-san, could you put Sugawara-san’s hair back to where it was? I think it looked better that way,” Yachi asks. Asahi backtracks and intentionally messes up Suga’s hair back to what it was, hearing a soft, choking sound come from his friend as he tries not to move too much from position. Asahi silently mouths an apology before skipping back off set.

“No fidgeting. I think we’ve almost got it.” Akaashi makes another turn around the group, the glare in his eyes extra-sharp. "It might be the lighting. Let me try something."

“Hinata-kun, don’t crane your neck so much! Ah, Kageyama-kun, you’re scowling again…” Yachi is thoroughly frustrated, but tries not to show it in her words. She keeps her voice soft. The normally honey sweet manager is always no-nonsense when it comes to her art and work, especially when she’s the supervising manager for a project. “Tsukishima-kun, please look at the camera…”

Akaashi fidgets with a light fixture on the far right side of the set. He accidentally moves it a bit too far, shining it directly in Nishinoya’s eyes, who tries his hardest not to flinch and fall from his crouching position.

“Sorry about that,” he says, and fixes the light. He surveys the change, paying attention to the shadows it casts on everyone’s faces. “Sawamura-san, I think if you tilt your head a little to the right--- no, okay, a little more…. now a little up…. Good.”

The frustration starts to creep up in the back of Yachi’s mind. There’s something still off about the whole composition, but she can’t figure out what. It wouldn’t be fair for her to ask them to restart completely, she thinks, and sighs, letting her shoulders sag.

“Yachi-san?”

It takes a second for her to realize what’s been said. “Oh! Wha--? Yes, Hinata-kun?”

“Is everything alright?”

“Uh, yeah!” She lets out a giggle. “It’s just, mm, I guess… it’s just not as… dramatic as I want,” she spoke with a lilt, and another laugh. “Maybe a little more, uhm, 'oomph', would be… nice…but I don’t know how to…uh,” her voice trails off into a mutter.

“Oomph. Got it. So like a… HWAAAH! kind of thing?”

“Yes! Yes, exactly!”

Kageyama nods too, “Sounds good.”

“What language are they speaking?” Tanaka asks to no one in particular.

Hinata and Kageyama share a glance before they start moving. Hinata pivots his hips and changes the positions of his arms completely, with one down at his side and the other gripping at his collar. Kageyama swoops one leg forward and tilts his chin up, as if looking down at the camera.

Yachi’s entire body seems to perk up in response. “Yeah! Like that!”

The other members of Karasuno trade looks, shrug, and fix themselves into new poses. Daichi squares his shoulders, locks his body, and stares the camera head-on. Suga arches his back more, fixing one hand to his lips and the other down by his waist. Ennoshita and Tsukishima re-angle their body at the sides, emphasizing the lines of their figure. Nishinoya straightens his back while Tanaka crouches downwards.

Karasuno transformed their entire image from “boys standing around” to “a group ready to attack” in seconds flat, with no direction needed.

Yachi gasps. “That’s it! That’s so much better!”

Moniwa, finger on the shutter at the camera, snaps a few pictures.

“Wait, no! Not yet!” Yachi half whispers, half screams. The cameraman jumps.

“It’s not ready yet,” Akaashi continues, and fiddles with the light again. Moniwa sighs, and waits for Yachi and Akaashi’s judgement yet again.

“Don’t worry, I thought it was fine, too!” Yamaguchi offers from the corner.

 

====

 

A week later, FuruPro sends out the official media press releases that include the CD cover photos and short previews of the music video. The ads are set to be out in the morning, with several billboards popping up the day after. Tonight the group gets to perform the song and make the announcement on a music television show.

Daichi sits on one of the lobby couches to review the day’s schedule with Suga when he hears an all too familiar “Yoohoo!”. He doesn’t even need to look up to know it’s Oikawa.

“Congrats on the new single! Just a bit longer until release date, right? Let’s hope for another chart topper!” He smiles and holds up his crossed fingers.

Suga smiles back, “Thanks, Oikawa. And how are you doing?”

“Busy, busy. As always! Looking forward to relaxing at your party, Sawamura-kun,” Oikawa sing-songs the syllables of his name.

Suga giggles, “Yeah, ‘relaxing’. I’m sure.” The sarcasm is thick in his voice.

Oikawa’s face falls just a little bit until he regains his composure. “Maybe so.” No use in pretending if they’ve already figured it out.

Daichi grins in response. “Just don’t be weird around him.”

“I’m _never_ weird,” he scoffs, turns his shoulder and saunters off. Not a minute later, he returns with thundering footsteps.

“Actually wait, what do you think I should wear? Cause I have these really classy pajamas, but maybe that’s like, overdoing it, you know? And do you know if IwaHaji likes wine? Red or white?”

“Uh, well, I don’t, but it is _my_ party and _I_ like--”

“Sawamura-kun, do you know? Or maybe something like whiskey would be better? Sawamura-kun, I have a week to prepare so I need answers.”

“What’s with that face? Sawamura-kun, answer me.”

 

====

 

**Text from: Oikawa Tooru**

 

 **Oikawa Tooru** : sawamura-kun answer me  
**Oikawa Tooru** : sawamura-kun answer me  
**Oikawa Tooru** : sawamura-kun answer me  
**Oikawa Tooru** : sawamura-kun answer me

 

======

 

Akaashi walks out the train station exit and snaps photos of the giant ad on the building in front of him, both with his cellphone and the SLR camera around his neck. In the distance, he can see a group of girls in school uniforms point to the same ad, smiling and cooing. One even takes a picture for herself.

Ennoshita, dressed in thick-framed glasses and a hat, joins his side. “I have to admit, it’s still a little embarrassing.” He makes eye contact with his own image on the billboard announcing the new single ‘Chemical Change’.

Akaashi keeps looking at the billboard. “I can’t believe something I helped take is up there.”

“Then you better get used to it,” he feels his side get nudged. “I keep telling you, it won’t be long until your photos take over the city.”

He doesn’t know how to respond, so he doesn’t. It’s not as if he doesn’t appreciate the compliment, but he knows he still has a long way to go. Akaashi can’t grasp why his friend, this idol who already _has_ taken over the city, whose picture is plastered on the sides of towers and the covers of magazines, who has a legion of loyal followers, has such a deep faith in some no-name photography student. It intrigues him, and he thinks, maybe he should ask why.

Before he can break the silence, Ennoshita quickly takes a few steps back and points down a busy road. “Well, uh, I’m going this way! I’ll see you later then! Keiji-kun!” He turns on his heel with a wave and hurries off into the crowded street.

Akaashi silently watches his friend leave, and wonders if he imagined the deep shade of pink that tinged the back of his neck.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy. Hey everyone! Hope you enjoy this! I haven't written fic in a very long time but I love haikyuu and I love idol AUs, so I rolled up my sleeves. Thanks for reading!
> 
> you can find me on tumblr with the same username (aretama), but you might also know me as electricprince .


End file.
